Serial Bus Initialization Using Position Signals for Auto-Addressing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for initializing serial communication bus systems, particularly in automotive applications, are complex and time-consuming, requiring multiple cycles for auto-addressing participants, which complicates programming and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A method where a bus master sends an initialization command to the first participant, which increments a counter and sends position information to the bus master, and this process is repeated until the last participant, allowing each participant to obtain a unique counter reading based on its position, enabling simple and efficient auto-addressing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple cycles of auto-addressing are used to initialize participants, then each participant can be uniquely identified, but the initialization process becomes time-consuming and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticipant identification accuracyVSAvoidinitialization time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The bus master performs preliminary actions by sending initialization commands and position information signals before the actual addressing process. Each participant receives position information indicating its position in the daisy-chain, allowing them to pre-determine their address without requiring multiple interaction cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The initialization process is segmented into independent steps: sending initialization commands, transmitting position information signals, and distributing addresses. Each participant processes only the information relevant to its position, reducing overall system complexity and time requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If multiple cycles of auto-addressing are used to initialize participants, then each participant can be uniquely identified, but the programming complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparticipant identification accuracyVSAvoidprogramming complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each participant automatically determines its own address based on the position information received from upstream participants. The participant at position i receives position information indicating it is the i-th participant and automatically assigns itself address i, eliminating the need for complex centralized addressing logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Position information signals are transmitted in advance to each participant before the addressing process begins. This preliminary transmission of position data simplifies the subsequent addressing logic, as each participant already knows its position and can directly use this information to establish its address.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If a daisy-chain connection is used to connect participants, then the structure is simple, but the system fails completely if any participant becomes defective

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection structure simplicityVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The daisy-chain connection is logically segmented into independent participant units, each with its own address and control capability. This segmentation allows the bus master to communicate with individual participants or groups of participants independently, so that a defect in one participant does not prevent communication with others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the addressing parameter dynamically based on participant positions. When a participant is defective, the addressing scheme can skip that position or reassign addresses to subsequent participants, allowing the system to adapt to failures while maintaining the simple daisy-chain physical structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4054128B1Method for initializing a serial communication bus system
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 ELMOS SEMICON AG
  • EP4054128B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4054128B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4c

AI summary

In the procedure for initializing a serial communication bus system, the bus master (42) sends an initialization command to the first participant. The first participant receives the initialization command, increments a counter, forwards the initialization command to the second participant, and sends position information, which is a first position signal, to the bus master via the communication bus (14). The bus master (42) receives the position information signal and increments a counter. This process is repeated from the second participant to the Nth participant for each i-th participant, where i = 2, 3, ...The process is as follows: the i-th participant receives the initialization command from the (i-1)-th participant, increments a counter, and sends position information to the bus master (42) and to the first participant up to the (i-1)-th participant. This position information is the first position signal if the i-th participant is not the N-th and therefore last participant, and a second position signal if the i-th participant is the N-th and therefore last participant. Each participant from the first participant up to the (i-1)-th participant increments its counter only upon receiving the first position signal, and the bus master increments its counter with each receipt of a first position signal. This process is completed when the bus master (42) receives the second position signal from the N-th participant. Each participant has a different counter value.